Top 10 Pop Songs of 2008

Pop music often gets a bad rap for being disposable or vapid, and in many cases that's true. (Katy Perry, Danity Kane and the Pussycat Dolls, step right up!) But every year, a few irresistible bits of innovative ear candy rocket up the charts and seep into our subconscious.

The following ten singles saturated the Top 40 -- or what passes for hit-oriented radio in this topsy-turvy musical climate -- while proving that accessibility doesn't necessarily preclude creativity.

CHRIS BROWN

"Forever"

(Jive/Zomba)

Few adolescent pop stars have aged as gracefully as fleet-footed Chris

Brown. Produced by Polow da Don, "Forever" was first recorded in

shortened form for a Wrigley's Doublemint gum ad; accordingly, the

longer version of "Forever" is a grown-up bit of (no pun intended)

bubblegum hip-pop that's still young at heart. Rounded techno beats and

digitally warmed vocals conjure the giddiness of puppy love, a time of

life when the entire world shines with hope and promise.

COLDPLAY

"Viva la Vida"

(Capitol)

Coldplay gets flak for its perceived pretentiousness, but "Viva la

Vida" tempers that bombast with effortless humility. The song's sturdy,

Jose D. Duran has been the associate web editor of Miami New Times since 2008. He's the voice and strategist behind the publication's eyebrow-raising Facebook and Twitter feeds. He has also been reporting on Miami's music, entertainment, and cultural scenes since 2006, previously through sites such as MiamiNights.com and OnBeat.com. He earned his BS in journalism with a minor in art history from the University of Florida. He's a South Florida native and will be a Miami resident as long as climate change permits and the temperature doesn't drop below 60 degrees.